Angus T. Jones, who plays Jon Cryer's son, Jake Harper in the CBS comedy, Two and a Half Men, is calling his show "filth." In a recorded interview, which was posted Monday, November 26, 2012 on YouTube, the 19-year old actor implores viewers to not tune in to the show. He urges the TV audience to change the channel and to not watch the program that features his character as a fun-loving, sex-crazed teenager. Jones says, "I'm on Two and a Half Men and I don't want to be on it. Please stop watching it. Please stop filling your head with filth. Please. People say it's just entertainment. Do some research on the effects of television and your brain - and I promise you - you'll have a decision to make when it comes to the television; and especially with what you watch on television. It's bad news. I don't know if it means anymore coming from me, but you might not have heard it otherwise."
Jones, who has been portraying Jake Harper since Two and a Half Men debuted in 2003, makes reference to his religious experience when bashing the sitcom that reportedly pays him $350,000 an episode; a total of 8.4 million dollars each season, which makes him the highest paid young actor on television. He focuses on "the enemy's" deception, presumably meaning Satan; and Jones assures viewers that "there's no playing around when it comes to eternity" and says he doesn't want to contribute "to the enemy's plan." Jones insists that people may view actors such as himself and think, "Oh I can be a Christian and be on a show like Two and a Half Men. You can't. You cannot be a true God-fearing person and be on a television show like that. I know I can't. I'm not okay with what I'm learning, what the Bible says, and being on that television show. You go all or nothing."
It's obvious to me that young Angus T. Jones - although not that young - is quite immature. I sometimes wonder why certain celebrities - whether younger or older - take to a public forum and bite the hands that feed them. Where were his agent, manager and publicist when Jones did the aforementioned interview? Where are the people who he pays to advise him? Maybe they made their suggestions and Jones told them he didn't care. I don't know. But... after 9 years, Jones should have taken a more respectful pathway and met privately with the show's producers and perhaps executives of CBS and Warner Bros. and politely informed them that
because of his religious beliefs he disagrees with the message of Two and a Half Men. Why couldn't Jones have requested a closed-door meeting with executive producer Chuck Lorre and asked him to
write Jake out of the show over the course of the next season or until Jones' contract has been honored completely? After he left the series, then if Jones wanted to go on Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Extra, on the Internet or elsewhere and go in to more detail to explain his reasons for leaving Two and a Half Men, I don't think he would have received the flack he is getting today by critics and fans throughout the country.
I know it's easy to say, "Think before you speak," but Jones' remarks were not blurted out by mistake out of anger. It's obvious this was a prepared statement that he wanted to discuss and make known at this time. In the interview, Jones argued that "Jake from Two and a Half Men means nothing. He's a nonexistent character." I will agree that his part has been cut back quite a bit since Charlie Sheen left the show and Ashton Kutcher joined the cast, but that's no reason to perform in a childish fashion and behave in a way that made him
come across in such a poor light. I hope that his YouTube rant doesn't destroy his career for good. People make mistakes in judgment; and this I think was a big one for Angus T. Jones. Representatives from CBS, Warner Bros. and the show's production company have made no comment on Jones' criticism of Two and a Half Men.
As for those people who have reportedly stated that Jones is a hypocrite if he doesn't give back (or give to charity) all the millions of dollars he's earned from playing Jake on Two and a Half Men, that's a bunch of bunk. Angus T. Jones worked very hard for his money and he deserves to keep it. This is the United States of America and I defend his right to speak out. I just think he should have done it in a more courteous, thoughtful and gracious way.
And that's The Controversy for today.
I'm Gary B. Duglin.
Copyright 2012 Gary B. Duglin and TheControversy.net. All Rights Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment